Nothing hard here.
For the most part it was see clue, write answer. I was held up by 23d since there was no wordplay to workout which was the right answer, but I’m sure one of you will enlighten me. Thanks SAYANG for the puzzle.
All definitions in clues marked like this.
* anagram, + charade, – deletion, E Easy, DD double definition, CD cryptic definition, H hidden, ~ homophone, D by E Definition by example
ACROSS
1,5 MAIL FROM KUALA LUMPUR? (7,7) CAPITAL LETTERS [D by E]
9 This organisation services institutes (5) NAAFI [E]
10 Utter masculine sound for message depository (5,4) VOICE MAIL [utter=VOICE + ~masculine=MALE]
11 Setter to press note now (9) IMMEDIATE [setter=I’M + press=MEDIA + note=TE] now=adverb and immediate=adjective, so now=immediately?
12 Search among the Mirkwood Elves (5) DELVE [H]
13 Boil // soup (4) STEW [DD]
15 Draw close to residence chosen by old neighbours, initially (4,2,2) HOME IN ON [residence=HOME + chosen=IN + Old Neighbours]
18 Glass // vessel (8) SCHOONER [DD]
19 Throw the last bit of ear (4) LOBE [throw=LOB + thE]
22 The priest did not start the fire (5) ARSON [pARSON] Isn’t arson the act of setting fire rather than fire?
24 The first person is the most important – a mega icon in another way (9) EGOMANIAC [A MEGA ICON]*
26 Millions stolen by oriental bully in internet trading (1-8) E-COMMERCE [millions=MM inside oriental=E + bully=COERCE]
27 An audience for The Stones? No, just one (5) AGATE [an audience=A GATE]
28,29 A great president and patriarch of county town (7,7) ABRAHAM LINCOLN [patriarch=ABRAHAM + county town=LINCOLN] Can’t see how ‘of’ works as a connector between wordplay components
DOWN
1,20 Hilarious television programme “Drama with Candice” (6,6) CANDID CAMERA [DRAMA CANDICE]* Where is the anagram indicator?
2 Practical paper in the afternoon sounds a nuisance (9) PRAGMATIC [paper=RAG inside afternoon=PM + ~ a nuisance=A TICK]
3 Gang starts to terrorise retailers in Abu Dhabi (5) TRIAD [Acrostic]
4 Biblical monster wrecked in the lava (9) LEVIATHAN [IN THE LAVA]*
5 One’s into learning continental flower (5) LOIRE [1 inside learning=LORE]
6 Step on plant – what drudgery! (9) TREADMILL [step on=TREAD + plant=MILL]
7 Melia encrypted the message (1-4) E-MAIL [MELIA]*
8,21 Hollywood serves nicer cocktail with a touch of lime (6,6) SILVER SCREEN [SERVES NICER Lime]*
14 “Wild Thyme On Top” not title adapted for a flyer (9) WOODNYMPH [WILD THYME ON TOP – TITLE]*
16 Women’s Institute overlooked in fabrication of war memorial made of marble (9) MARMOREAL [WAR MEMORIAL – Women’s Institute]*
17 Compulsory musical direction (9) OBBLIGATO [E]
20 See 1 down
21 See 8
23 Formidable // battle (5) STOUR/STOOR [DD] Both fit and I’m not sure what was intended by the setter
24 IT program Mr Poe tweaked (5) EPROM [MR POE]*
25 Turkish commander elected the second time (5) AGAIN [Turkish commander=AGA + elected=IN]
Thanks, Bhavan. I still can’t work out 23dn either, and would welcome enlightenment. Apart from that it was a jolly ride. Thanks, Sayang.
Thanks Sayang and Bhavan
Funny puzzle – didn’t really like it … didn’t really dislike it!!
STOUR was my last one in – and Sayang has used some old definitions that mean strong and powerful as well as a term for an armed battle or conflict (refer wiktionary).
There are a couple of clues that look like he has words doing double duty – ARSON which I took to mean ‘start the fire’ and CANDID CAMERA where he uses ‘programme’ also as the anagrind.
Took a while to equate ‘soup’ and STEW … but when I saw they both meant a chaotic or agitated state … it gelled.
In 15, I just took ‘old’ to equal O … so initially only applied to ‘neighbours’.
In 1,20 dn, maybe ‘programme’ is doing double duty as part of definition and as anagram signal.
@brucecw
Sorry, I had not read your Comment before posting mine.
re 23d if you are going to have a double definition would it not be fair to make at least one of them slightly more familiar?
11a Chambers gives ‘now’ as an adjective meaning ‘present’ so I guess it’s ok.
Many thanks to Bhavan and Sayang
Did this puzzle this morning over a cup of coffee (well, two actually) which means it wasn’t very difficult.
Some nice ideas (1,5, for example, and 3d), some throwaway clues too (e.g. 17d or 7d (cheapish, never heard of someone called Melia)).
In that sense, I am with Bruce @2.
Some things are not right here, though.
As you mentioned in your blog, Bhavan, the word “of” in 28,29 is completely out of place. One might say it’s a link word but then I would say: &^%$.
In 1,20 the anagrind could be “programme” but then what’s the definition? I am very much against double duty, so I’m afraid Sayang meant “Hilarious” to be the anagrind, only putting it in the wrong place.
I also question the homophone in 2d.
I can see how it works but I am not really happy with that clue having a homophone for “a tick” because in the solution it doesn’t sound like that at all. Ideally, I would liked to have seen “a” before the homophone indicator.
In 19ac I do not like “the last” for E at all.
Even less in a clue that suggests “the last bit of ear” = R.
Some may call this clever misdirection, I am not one of them.
While I found this puzzle easy, I couldn’t complete it.
9ac defeated me – never heard of NAAFI.
Nor do I see anything cryptic here (but I still don’t understand the clue anyway).
And 22ac (ARSON) is just a poor clue.
We all see what Sayang means but is it right?
ARSON is a noun so the definition can only be “the fire” which is wrong or, at least, insufficient.
And on top of that, a giant like Alberich, for one, would never have started the clue with “The” (because it shouldn’t (ideally) be there).
For me, the difference between the top and the sub-top.
Still, I enjoyed solving this puzzle as I enjoy solving any OK puzzle.
So thanks to Sayang, and Bhavan for unravelling.
“Monty Python is hilarious television” is a valid statement; so “programme” is not necessarily doing double duty. Wikipedia gives the River Stour as one of the many battle grounds during the Gallic War when Julius Caesar invaded Britain. NAAFI is an acronym [From the initials of Navy, Army, and Air Force Institute(s)]. My friend who investigates insurance claims uses arson and fire interchangeably. Finally, the aim of a setter is to amuse and bemuse and I hope I have done that. Thank you, Bhavan and FT for publishing this puzzle on Malaysia Day.
I’m still recovering from the disappointment at yesterday’s – Monday’s – puzzle being a repeat of IO’s “Robin” grid on September 10th. A whole new “look”, but an old crossword. What happened?
Just thought I’ll pop in to say having checked the solution today, the answer to 23d is STOUR.
Many thanks Sayang for dropping by.
I withdraw my doubts about 1,20 after your clear explanation.
Also thanks for explaining what NAAFI stands for.
I’m, in general, not well up with war and people who think it is a good thing to be part of it. Even in a world in which war rules.
Yves @9.
As the blogger of the FT Monday Prize Crossword, I can only say that the real prize puzzle can only be found on the FT website. It’s a Dante (for the second week in a row, which is quite unusual).
I’ve looked in Tuesday’s paper but couldn’t find any rectification for their mistake.